Multi-purpose Mash Tun?

[tcraig20]

Thinking about building a mash tun and coming over to the dark side soon.

Ive got an esky here (34 litre) that I want to use. All the esky mash tuns Ive seen have one thing in common: they have a dirty big tap sticking out the side of them. Now, I dont want to go and buy a new esky, but I'd like to still be able to use the one I have for other things - I expect that I'd end up knocking the tap off or something if I used it like a normal esky (plus it would be one more piece of junk lying around).

So I thought 'do you need a tap?'. No, you dont - you can have a manifold/braid in the bottom and a means of attaching a siphon to it - say a piece of upright copper pipe. Then I thought 'do you need a manifold/braid in there while it's mashing? No, I dont think you do - it's really just a filter for the wort, and it could be put in at the end of the mash, and then you drain and sparge.

This is becoming sort of a ramble, but here is what Im thinking: a braid with a piece of copper attached so that it goes up the side of the esky and over the lip, put in at the end of the mash. This is attached to a length of tubing to create a siphon for removing wort. I dont think the braid moving about would cause a problem - it will sink, should stay in place as long as it doesnt get knocked about, and it can be pushed into place with a mash paddle. By only putting it in at the end of the mash, I can close the lid of the esky helping maintain temp.

Best of all, the braid comes out at the end of brewing and I still have a perfectly servicable esky.

Feedback appreciated - will it work or is it just a dumb idea?

 

[chappo1970]

Jimmy,
What about a BIAB style bag liner and a ss trivet to suspend the bag (and allow for wort flow) for the esk? That way theres no need for a fixtured manifold, no? Also can use the standard plug and play thingo on the esk? But don't forget you need to collect 1st runnings and batch sparge so that might prove difficult but not impossible.

Just a thought?

 

[Supra-Jim]

You could quite easily set it up so that your manifold screws on/off with some type of barrel union style fastner

This would allow for easily removal of the manifold.

Or even easier, use a domed s/s false bottom, as these disconnect from the valve by simple silicon tube.

Now you only have to be concerned about the valve exposed on the exterior. They don't need to stick out as far as some people have them. As long as you have enough room to open/close the handle, you'd be fine.

I have a round gatorade style mash tun with false bottom and this has been used many times to keep a keg chilled for BBQ's.

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[muckey]

A lot of eskys have a drain bung. You may be able fit a tap in/through the same hole

 

[chappo1970]

Just have a dedicated esky and tell the misses you feel embarassed going to parties with the esk looking the way it does... :lol:

 

[rosswill]

I have a round Gatorade type of mash tun. It came with a push button type of tap. I replaced it with a lever type tap from my local HBS. I then went to Bunnings and got a T shaped bit of poly from the micro irrigation section. The bottom part of the T if wedged into the inside of the tap fitting. I had to do a little bit of filling to get a snug fit. Braid was attached to the top part of the T to form a circle. Works a treat. So simple. Just pull out to clean at the end of the day. When not being used as a mash tun, it serves as a normal esky. Good to put the keg in for parties.

 

[Cracka]

Thinking about building a mash tun and coming over to the dark side soon.

Ive got an esky here (34 litre) that I want to use. All the esky mash tuns Ive seen have one thing in common: they have a dirty big tap sticking out the side of them. Now, I dont want to go and buy a new esky, but I'd like to still be able to use the one I have for other things - I expect that I'd end up knocking the tap off or something if I used it like a normal esky (plus it would be one more piece of junk lying around).

So I thought 'do you need a tap?'. No, you dont - you can have a manifold/braid in the bottom and a means of attaching a siphon to it - say a piece of upright copper pipe. Then I thought 'do you need a manifold/braid in there while it's mashing? No, I dont think you do - it's really just a filter for the wort, and it could be put in at the end of the mash, and then you drain and sparge.

This is becoming sort of a ramble, but here is what Im thinking: a braid with a piece of copper attached so that it goes up the side of the esky and over the lip, put in at the end of the mash. This is attached to a length of tubing to create a siphon for removing wort. I dont think the braid moving about would cause a problem - it will sink, should stay in place as long as it doesnt get knocked about, and it can be pushed into place with a mash paddle. By only putting it in at the end of the mash, I can close the lid of the esky helping maintain temp.

Best of all, the braid comes out at the end of brewing and I still have a perfectly servicable esky.

Feedback appreciated - will it work or is it just a dumb idea?

James my dear boy, why build one when your welcome to borrow mine. I'll lend it to you for the first AG & I recon you will

end up making your own dedicated mash tun after tasting the goods.

It's a 33L if want it.




I can feel the force is strong in this one

 

[raven19]

You would want to invest in some gloves so you could push the manifold down through the hot mash, but you are better off having it in there to start with, along with a tap.

It is serious stuff this beer making. Buy the missus a newer smaller esky so you can use your old one full time in your brewery.

2c.

 

[real_beer]

Thinking about building a mash tun and coming over to the dark side soon.

James, I sure you mean you've seen the Light and your thinking about moving over into it! :lol:

 

[Gavo]

James my dear boy, why build one when your welcome to borrow mine. I'll lend it to you for the first AG & I recon you will

end up making your own dedicated mash tun after tasting the goods.

Take up this offer. You will end up wanting to make a dedicated one. I have a 15lt drink cooler type and just disassemble it when we go camping. I am about to do the same with my 50 lt esky. Both will share the same a SS ball valve. I will just swap them when needed.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[tcraig20]

Take up this offer. You will end up wanting to make a dedicated one. I have a 15lt drink cooler type and just disassemble it when we go camping. I am about to do the same with my 50 lt esky. Both will share the same a SS ball valve. I will just swap them when needed.

Cheers
Gavo.

Thanks for the comments so far everyone.

It really isnt so much the minister of finance - we're in a flat at the moment and I dont need more crap kicking around the house - we are both pack rats and another esky would take up valuable real estate. A simple braid and tubing wouldnt take up much room at all.

Raven - my assumption was that I would be able to manuever a braid into a decent position with a mash paddle - maybe that isnt a well founded idea, I dont know.

Cracka - great offer mate, but I dont fancy the drive to Inverell and back just to borrow your mash tun.

Ross and Muckey - I already have an esky on hand and it doesnt have a drain bung or tap. I dont want to go out and buy another esky, that's sort of the point.

Jim - I like your idea - a threaded connection means that I could unscrew the tap and fit a bung as need be.

Chappo - your ideas sound even more complicated than mine, and I have a history of overcomplicating things :lol:

I need to have bit more of a think about this - its one thing to build a mash tun, another to get a couple of 25kg bags of grain past the minister of finance...

 

[Kai]

I would regularly use my old esky mash tun as a real esky, complete with the valve sticking out and manifold still in. If you're worried about knocking the tap off, just make sure when you fit it it's as flush on the esky as you can make it. You could even consider going for a smaller valve size than 1/2" to reduce the exterior profile further. For example, though it is maybe a little small, something like a Keg beer shutoff valve. You'd be unlucky to knock that off. Also means you can drain the esky nice and easy afterwards.

You'll get a slower flow rate but still fast enough for a good runoff speed... with a 1/2" valve I always find myself slowing the flow rate anyway. And another advantage to having the valve still on there is it makes it bloody easy to drain your esky. I wouldn't go a syphon arrangement, too much chance of things mucking up during a tricky runoff.